Burning Kisses
by ArAshiMitArAshi
Summary: [ShikaIno] In order to make Shikamaru quit his new habit, Ino found a perfect solution. She was going to let him smoke...her.
1. Burning Kisses

Made this fiction up out of irritation of Shikamaru's new habit. Spoiler for manga 330.

**ONLY FOR SHIKA-INO LOVERS**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

**BURNING KISSES**

**© ArAshiMitArAshi**

* * *

Everybody was present except him. 

"Where's Shikamaru?" Ino whispered to her side.

Chouji shrugged. "I went to his house, but his mom said he'd left a while ago…"

"Where are you going?" He added, seeing the tall blonde was about to leave.

Ino replied thoughtfully. "I have to take care of some business."

* * *

She found him lying on the grassy field, head tilted up high staring at the clouds. She could see the smoke coming from him. The grey substance floating lazily in the air, disappeared and was replaced again. She frowned. She hated to see him so down like this. 

She knew he knew she was there. She was sure he sensed her presence.

But he didn't acknowledge her. He kept on staring at the clouds, blowing smoke after smoke, lost in his own world. She inched closer until she arrived just a foot away from him.

He tilted his head just enough to catch a glimpse of her and then focused back on the clouds.

She studied the cigarette between his lips, his empty stare and his emotionless face. Her heart ached.

She settled down beside him and wordlessly, she took the burning cigarette from his mouth. She twirled it between her fingers for a quick second before she crushed it on the ground.

"You shouldn't smoke," she said quietly. "It's bad for health."

He grunted in response. She knew, the muffled sound meant "I don't care…" or "Whatever…" or any phrase in similar meaning.

He slipped his hand inside his pocket and pulled out an old cigarette pack - the one belonged to Asuma, and a lighter - also Asuma's. But before he could take a single cigarette and lit it, Ino grabbed the two items calmly from him and put them by her side.

Shikamaru raised his brows questioningly at her and she swore she could see the look of annoyance hidden deep in his dark eyes. His hand made its way on the ground to reach the pack again, but silently she stopped his moving hand and placed it on his chest. He tried his action again for a few times but still failed under her observation.

Finally, he gave up and tucked his hands back behind his head. A displeased look painted on his face. "Troublesome…" He muttered to the sky, which actually directly meant for her.

He bit his lip. His mouth itched, feeling the need to smoke. He sighed heavily, wanting the young woman by his side to notice how uncomfortable he was feeling right now. And she wasn't dumb not to notice.

"You better stop while you're at it." She meant about the smoking thing. "It'll become a habit."

"Tch…" He smirked teasingly. He knew that one day she'll come to him and confront him about the new liking he picked from Asuma, but he never knew that it was this early. Ino sure was going to keep her promise, about her taking care after him and Chouji.

"Let's go to the funeral, Shikamaru."

He glanced at her. There were lines of dry tears marred on her face but the look of confidence was still in place. She was going to dominate him and want him to comply to every of her demand as he always did before but right now, he didn't have the heart to just go with her flow.

"Let me smoke first."

Ino frowned. His eyes insisted.

"No." She replied.

He said nothing but his hand roamed on the ground once again to reach for the pack. This time, he got what he wanted. He quickly pulled out one out of the five remaining cigarettes, slipped it between his lips and lit it. He gave a heavy sigh of relief once the he blew away some smoke from his mouth.

He expected to hear a yell or a scream but surprisingly, he heard nothing. He glanced up at her and saw her sad face.

"Don't smoke, Shikamaru." She bit her lower lip. "The act, the smell, the smoke… You remind me of him."

"So what?" He retorted.

"And it's not good for health."

"Tch…I don't care."

"It'll become a habit."

"Let it be."

She didn't advanced further in their little argument, instead, she leaned her face closer to his.

"What can I do or say to make you to stop smoking that thing?" Her voice was barely audible in his ear.

"Nothing." He replied, eyes fixing on the sky. "Stop bugging me."

Again, he expected to hear a yell or a scream, a slap or a punch, or probably a kick but what she did next shocked the hell out of him.

Wordlessly, she took the cigarette away from him and kissed him fully on the mouth.

"Let's try this, Shikamaru…" She spoke after breaking the kiss. She studied his expression silently. His eyes were wide and his face was slightly pale due to the unexpected mouth contact. "If you promise to quit smoking, I'll let you kiss me. Just consider a single kiss in exchange for a single cigarette. What do you say?"

"You're crazy…"

"I don't mind, really. If this method could make you stop, could make you quit, then I'll gladly do it. I'll be your cigarette. Whenever you feel the need to smoke, just come and see me. Anytime, anywhere. Day or night, busy or not, I don't mind." He examined her face. Confidence? Check. "And you can kiss me as much as you wanted. It's unlimited."

She rose from her seat, bringing the cigarette pack and lighter together with her. She stared down at him and added, "I'm serious, Shikamaru. Think about it."

* * *

As Ino studied the scroll before her, she couldn't stop thinking about their meeting a few days ago. She had not seen him since that day. He didn't come to see her and every time she set her feet to find him, he seemed like he knew her every movement. He was good in hiding himself from her; she gave him credit for that. She wondered if he ever took her offer seriously or just let the matter slide and kept on smoking behind her back. 

Asuma had asked her to take care of those two clumsy teammates and she was going to keep her promise no matter what. Nothing could stop a determined Yamanaka Ino to do what she wanted.

She rose from her seat and went to change her clothes. The night was slightly late for a walkout but she knew that if she didn't make her move now, then it'll take forever for her to finally have a chance to see him. Hoping he would be at home, she headed for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Inoichi, her father asked her as she passed through the living room to the door.

"Out." She said simply as she put on her sandal. Her father raised his brows questioningly. "I'm going to see Shikamaru." She explained. Inoichi nodded. He understood about her daughter's growing concern toward her male teammates. Since their sensei's death, she'd been taking care of the two more protectively than ever; to make sure they didn't do anything stupid.

"Okay." He gave her the permission to go. The Naras' house was nearby anyway. "Don't stay out too long."

"I will." Ino answered and left.

She arrived in no time. The sight of Shikaku greeted her first thing she arrived.

"Ino-chan," he addressed. "What brings you here?"

"Is Shikamaru home?" She asked politely. "I know it's late but-"

"Ah…" He welcomed her in. "You're lucky. He's upstairs." Ino had been to his house so many times to see his son but every time she came, Shikamaru always wasn't home.

"May I go see him?"

"Of course." He smiled at the young woman. Ino caught the sight of Yoshino as she walked into the house and gave her a polite bow.

"Shikaku-san…" Ino spoke nervously. "Can I ask you something?"

Said person raised his brows.

"Did he ever do anything weird in these past few days?"

"Like what?" Shikamaru had been playing shougi alone outside the house and he had become extra hardworking for a lazy ass. Shikaku wondered if those things considered as weird.

"Like…" Ino searched the right words. She didn't want any of her remark came as an insult to Shikaku. "Like smoking…" She knew Shikaku was a smoker.

"Oh…" Shikaku smiled amusedly. If that was the case, he honestly didn't know. "Why don't you go ask him, Ino-chan? He's in his room. You know your way."

True. She had come to this house for countless times it was easy for her to find his room with her eyes closed.

She gave a few knocks before she opened the bedroom door herself. What Shikamaru had been doing right at the moment she entered kind of surprised her.

The lazy bum was on his desk, studying a few scrolls.

Shikamaru sighed heavily upon detecting her presence. She had caught him this time. Why he ever let his guard down?! No matter how far he run away or how many brilliant strategies he planned in his mind in attempt to escape from her grasp, he knew there was no use. If Ino was determined to see him, sooner or later she'll get what she wanted.

"How are you?" Her voice echoed in his ears. She walked toward him and flopped down casually on his bed.

"Fine." He didn't look at her.

"Have you been smoking lately?"

_Right on business_, he noted.

"Have you?"

"It's none of your concern."

As usual, he expected her somewhat banshee acts regarding to his bitter response but much to his surprise, she didn't do anything. Again, what she did next shocked the hell out of him.

Speedily, she appeared by his side and pulled his face to face her. Without a word, she took his second kiss.

Ino's eyes clouded with invisible tears the moment she broke free from him. Still holding his cheek, she studied his face thoroughly.

"Why…?" She wanted to cry. "Why don't you come see me?"

He tasted nothing like nicotine. He tasted like…Shikamaru.

"Why don't you come see me?" She repeated her words. "I've been waiting for you. I meant what I said…"

Shikamaru didn't smoke at all even though his father was around to provide him cigarette.

He pulled his face away from her grasp. "Tch…" Staring at the opened scroll in front of him, he complained about how troublesome it was for him to go find her. What a pain, wasting my time, not worth my effort, he said.

"So, I guess I should be the one who come to you, huh?" Ino smiled. She kissed him again before she left his room that night.

If her kisses could make him to quit that bad habit, she was more than glad to be his cigarette.

* * *

Like she had said, she had come to him. 

She had come to him since that moment. Everyday, day and night, whether she was busy or not, she never failed to give him the replacement cigarettes. She gave him the burning kisses as much as she thought a normal person could ever smoke a day. He never said anything about the thing, so she couldn't tell whether he was pleased or not. But he never complained or resisted her, he never tried to avoid her again so she thought he was okay with the deal. He never smoked a single cigarette again since she first kissed him. He only _smoked_…her.

Even so, he never was the one who look for the _cigarette_. She always was the one who come to him.

But that only happened on the first few weeks.

Soon, she found herself was not the one who come to him anymore, instead, he was the one who come to her. She found him in her room so early in the morning, stealing the morning kisses from her half-awaken body. Not only that, she always found herself was pinned against the wall in the middle of her walking and was kissed roughly by him – of course this was done in the dark alleyway because Shikamaru wouldn't dare to kiss her in public. And often, whenever they attended any meetings with the Hokage and the rest of the ninjas, even in the middle of heated discussions, she always found him feeling the need to smoke. He will give her a meaningful look and then departed from the room after giving the Hokage any acceptable excuses and she knew she had to follow suit. The moment she stepped out from the room, he was already waiting for her and without wasting any second, he took her to the nearest hidden room and kissed her as much as he desired.

Looking at the amount of kisses they shared since the first one, if Ino exchange herself with the real cigarettes, Shikamaru probably died from lung cancer by now. He _smoked_ too much.

Kissing her had become a habit.

She always wondered when his new habit will stop. Seriously, they couldn't be doing _that_ forever.

But then again, it was _her_ fault anyway. She was the one who responsible on his new habit.

And not long after the kissing deal began, she found out that Shikamaru was truly addicted to her. His hunger for her burning kisses never seemed to cease, in fact, it was increasing in a frighteningly rapid pace day by day.

On days without mission, the number of their kisses was quite normal. But whenever she or he had to leave for missions, the numbers doubled, tripled and sometimes it almost reached infinity.

And she didn't know that those kisses could lead to something else.

It was the longest mission she had since the kissing deal started. She had been gone from the village for almost two weeks. As she rushed her way home, she couldn't stop thinking about him. If she was lucky, that guy hadn't gone crazy missing _her_.

The moment she stepped into her dark room, she found it empty as usual. But she knew that he'll come anytime soon and as predicted, she was always right.

Before she had a chance to take a step into the shower, he pulled her into his arms and pinned her against the cold bathroom wall. She didn't hear or see him coming at all. Only the rush of breezy air greeted her as the sign of his presence.

His breath was rough on her skin and without wasting any moment, he kissed and kissed her deeply. His kisses now were wild and full with desperate hunger. He didn't even give her a second to catch her breaths. She felt weak in his arms like she always been every time he held her close. She clutched the fabric of his cloth tightly, as a support for herself if she began to fall. She was really tired and barely had any strength left to comply with his undeniable mouth contact so she just let him do whatever he wanted with her mouth for she had said that the amount of kisses was unlimited. She began to feel dizzy from his intoxicating taste and her mind was fully blank she couldn't think or do anything when…

His lips shifted to her neck.

And traveled down, down to the peak of her breasts, her navel, her core…

She didn't remember when all her clothes were stripped off from her body, revealing her killer figure to his naked eyes. She didn't recall the time he laid her on bed. She couldn't figure out how he suddenly ended on top of her, bare-naked, kissing her all over. She couldn't remember the pain throbbing between her legs the moment he entered her over and over again that night…

Because all that she remembered was the feeling of living in heaven, full with pure ecstasy.

The moment she opened her eyes the next morning, he was there right beside her. His body was turned to face her, his arm slung loosely around her waist and his eyes were looking at her intently.

"I'm sorry." He murmured apologetically to her. His face was full with guilt. He knew that he already crossed the boundary. Sex was not part of the deal.

She searched for any angry feeling rested within her heart but found none. She questioned herself whether she was mad at him or not, for taking her virginity so easily just like that but figured out that she didn't mind at all.

"Don't be." She leaned closer to his lean body. "I didn't regret it."

His face lit up a bit as their skin was in contact with each other's once again. She could feel his smirk when he kissed her good morning. They made love for the second time.

And they always did that since then.

What are they really? Ino always questioned herself. The term "teammates" surely couldn't be used to portray their current relationship. Teammates didn't kiss each other as often as they were doing right now. Teammates didn't have sex so easily just like that. They couldn't possibly lovers for heaven's sake!

_I'm just his cigarette…_ She decided as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Her statement that night proven that it was true after all. She realized that soon after Tsunade-sama had given her a mission to be accomplish with her new formed teammates.

Her mission this time was a bit different from what she always received. She wondered what kind of reaction Shikamaru would give once she told him about it.

Finished in packing her things, she slipped out from her room and sneaked into his room as usual. She found him sleeping peacefully.

She shook him awake. "What?" He asked groggily.

"I'm leaving for a mission tomorrow." She answered quietly. "It's a long one."

His sleepiness vanished in a second. _How long?_ He wondered thoughtfully. Two weeks was the longest time they've been separated and it that range of time, he almost gone crazy without her burning kisses. His addict kicked in uncontrollably.

_Perhaps more than two weeks… Maybe three weeks…_ He guessed silently. _I could stand it, I think…_

"How long will you be gone?" He voiced his thoughts.

She looked quite unsure to answer his question. She bit her lower lip hard and sighed heavily. He knew her worries for him.

"Ino?"

"It'll probably take months…" Her answer was like a bomb exploded in his ears. "Perhaps a year or two, I don't know. I'm not sure."

"What kind of mission is that?!"

"Spying. Information gathering." She explained about how the mission will work but before she had a chance to finish in telling him everything, he had her pinned on the bed.

"Shikamaru?" Her eyes were wide.

"You talk too much. You're wasting time." He savored her mouth fully. "I'm taking a year supply."

_So…_ She thought silently as he began to release his addict on her. _I'm just a cigarette to him after all…_

The moment she arrived to join her teammates on the next morning, she knew they all were flabbergasted seeing her appearance.

She looked tired and beat, and her lips were slightly swollen from the countless rough kisses Shikamaru planted on her the night before. Not to mention the visible red marks and light bruises were everywhere on her fair skin.

"Are you alright, Ino-san?" One of her teammates raised a question out of concern toward her condition. She replied with a simple "Yeah" and a glare to prevent further question. They shrugged in response, didn't dare to ask for more information.

"Let's go, guys."

* * *

His mouth itched. 

It only had been three hours since she left him at dawn but he felt like it had been three weeks. He glanced at the clock rested on his desk and it showed 7am sharp. He groaned lazily. He was not ready to start the day yet.

He needed to _smoke_. Desperately.

But without his _cigarette_ there, he knew that thing was impossible to do.

Wait a damn second…

His gaze fell on certain things beside the alarm clock. An image of a long, not seen items appeared in front of his eyes. He balled his fists tight. His logic mind debated with his longing heart.

His thoughts flew straight to Ino.

"Here," she handed the two items she stole from him just before she left his room.

He stared at her hands. On her right was Asuma's old cigarette pack and the lighter was on her left. He never thought that one day Ino will give the two back to him.

"What for?" He was confused.

She put the two items on his desk after he made no move to receive them. "I will be gone for a long time, Shikamaru. You probably could not stand a day without smoking. That's why I give the cigarettes back to you."

"You're not angry if I start smoking _it_ back?"

"Why should I feel angry?" Her words contained hidden meanings. She paused at his window, looking at him long before she took her leave. "Besides, you've been _smoking_ all these times, right?"

And just like that, she left him.

_Seriously, what do you mean by that, Ino?!_

He took a cigarette out from the pack, put it between his lips, lit it and inhaled…

And coughed.

The stick tasted horrible. He frowned, not liking the nicotine taste of it. How could he possibly _like_ smoking that thing before?!

Ino's burning kisses tasted way much better than the burning cigarette.

"…_you've been smoking all these times, right?"_

His eyes bolted out, slowly understood what she actually meant in her words. He closed his eyes and sighed. The cigarette hung limply between his fingers.

_You got me wrong, Ino. I never thought of you as a cigarette. Not even once. You're not a tool to release my addict. For me, you are…_

_The woman I love._

_That's right. I love you, do you know that? That's why I'm willing to quit smoking just so I could kiss you. I'm not addicted to cigarettes just like you assumed I was. The truth is, I'm addicted to you. _

_I could go crazy without you._

_And what about you? Did you let me kiss you only in order for me to quit smoking? Out of concern? Just because you cared for my health? Tell me, Ino…_

But his questions left unanswered.

His gaze fell on the burning cigarette in his hand and the cigarette pack resting by his side. He made up his mind. No matter how itched his mouth felt, no matter how desperate his addict could be, he will wait for her return.

He will wait for her burning kisses.

He will wait for the answers.

And until then…

Cigarettes be damned.

* * *

Personally, I like this story. 


	2. Burning Love

I know I already put an end to this fic but somehow, some of you (including me!) thought that this story wasn't complete yet. So, I decided to write a continuation for this story.

(Tears of joy TT) So many reviews in just overnight! I'm touched, really…

Enjoy!

**ONLY FOR SHIKA-INO LOVERS**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

**BURNING KISSES**

**© ArAshiMitArAshi**

"_**Burning Love"**_

* * *

_How long had the moment passed? Had it been days? Weeks? Months?_ He couldn't tell.

He lost count.

He celebrated his sixteenth birthday without her. He didn't enjoy it a bit, though almost all his friends were around on that special day. One, it was because of Asuma and two, it was because of Ino. He felt weird for not having her with him because every year, they always celebrated their birthday together. At first, he thought that it was a silly idea. He never really like parties but Ino always insisted to throw one every year. It'll be fun, she had said. But he knew she only wanted more presents. Not only that, she expected him to give her the biggest present ever and she wanted it to be in different kind each year.

Without her in the village, he didn't have the drive to search for a big present for her. So, for her sixteenth birthday, he only purchased a small one, an item that was easy to carry everywhere. He hoped he could give her the present right at the moment she arrive when she come back from her mission but until now, he still had the present in hand. His seventeenth birthday was approaching soon and once again, he had no idea what to give her. Usually, she gave him hints about whatever she wanted for her present and he was no fool not to buy her anything she wanted.

Maybe he really had gone crazy without her.

That was what he thought the moment he signed the contract. And also right at the moment he received the keys.

He didn't know how he was going to work it out, but he knew he will soon.

* * *

His newly bought apartment was dark the moment he unlocked the door and entered. Of course it had to be expected because he lived alone all by himself. It had been a month since he moved in, though he received some protests from his mother at first but strangely his father was very supportive to him. His father even volunteered to pay for the deposit and told him that he could always pay him back later when his financial was more stable. His father didn't ask the reason why he moved out from the Nara resident in the first place. He probably thought that Shikamaru had finally came to the age where he should live by himself and was matured enough to direct his own life. So far, his life had turned out to be okay and he was fully comfortable with his daily routine. No more nagging and yelling from his mother and he could do anything he wanted. He could sleep late till noon – of course on his days without mission - and lazing around the house without having someone bothering him. His free life was peace and quiet, which was definitely the life he always wanted. He just had to work extra hard to pay the bills and the monthly payment of his apartment.

Actually, the real reason he moved out from his parents' house was because he couldn't stand being inside his own room.

The four-walled space was full with Ino's presence.

Every single inch of his room reminded him of her. He felt her in his bed, her warmth still there, her scent still lingered between the pillows and the sheets and sometimes, when he gazed out of the window from where he had been lying, he could almost see her sneaked into his room through that same window. She came to him and joined him on the bed, they kissed and made love and the moment he woke up the next morning, he found her wasn't there and realized that it was just a dream.

The space beside him was bare and cold. He traced it with his fingers, realizing every second passed how he hated to see the emptiness there. He closed his eyes, still tracing the surface, memorizing what usually been there. He could feel warmth, softness and smoothness began to perform and soon, he could feel shapes and curves that turn out to be a woman's body. When he moved his hands up towards the pillow, somehow along the way he could feel lumps, beautiful lumps he remembered so well and between them he could feel the rhythmic heartbeat throbbed against the perfect milky skin. His hands went up further and he found a set of lush lips that only belonged to the goddess-looking living mannequin that captured his heart. He still remembered how the lips tasted when he slammed it with his, kissing them deeply, savoring every taste and drowned himself in ecstasy. The moaning and groaning resulting from the deep, passionate kiss still sounded in his ear and he swore that it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard among all things he hear. His hands fell to the side and caught a handful of silk threads, sprawled clumsily on the pillow down the sheet, making a mess there but he knew he never really mind about them. He loved the golden locks as much as he loved its owner. He pulled away his hand back to him, sweeping only air.

His heart ached painfully. He missed her so much.

And it was driving him crazy.

So to keep his sanity in place, he took a safe way. He chose to leave all the memories behind.

And so far, it worked.

Or maybe not.

He didn't bother to switch on the light and just walked blindly toward his bedroom in the dark. He just came back from a mission and he was short in energy. He was awfully hungry, too and desperately needed for a bath but right now all he could think was to get some sleep. So without bothering for a change of clothes, he collapsed on the bed.

"Okaerinasai."

When he first heard the voice he longed to hear for so long, he thought he was dreaming. It was the mind trick again, he sighed heavily, wishing that this time he heard it for real. The voice was small and husky, like a whisper, far too different from the annoying voice of Ino. He was imagining it, he thought. The voice probably came from the back of his skull.

But when he detected a chakra presence at the direction of his opened window, he froze.

_Could it be true?_

Lifting up his heavy lids slowly, he prayed over and over again for his predicament to be right. He didn't want to experience the feeling of emptiness he always felt since she went away, he didn't want to be disappointed and frustrated at his own fantasy. He didn't want to dream again.

He wanted reality.

And there, on the windowsill, sat a lovely figure he knew so well. After all this time, she didn't change a bit, in fact she looked even more beautiful. Like an angel. The moonlight illuminated her face nicely, reflecting the blue in her eyes. She looked so charming yet so pure, so fascinating to his eyes he couldn't bear to glance away even for a millisecond, afraid that the moment he look away, she would disappear.

"Say something," she talked to him. "Anything. Don't just lay there, gaping at me like a fool."

_Is she truly there? _

"I-ino?" He managed to let out a question. His heart drummed nervously for her answer.

_Please tell me that this is not a dream!_

She chuckled softly. "I thought you've forgotten my name. Has it been too long?"

Bit by bit, his logic told him that this was indeed reality. He slowly got up into a sitting position, still didn't dare to reach her, afraid that the moment he held out his hand to her she would turn into a puff of smoke.

"So, tell me." She spoke again, her face showed obvious amusement. He knew she enjoyed the look of shocked painted on his face. She crossed her arms across her chest and gave a playful smile. "Have you been smoking lately?"

And just like fire, that one statement melted all the ices that surrounded him.

Because in his usual built-up fantasies, he was never been asked about that question.

He didn't know how his tired body could make those flash steps. It was all like a blur. Just in a second, he took her in his arms and pinned her against the wall. He didn't know how to express his feeling right at the moment he felt her real this time. She was there, in front of him, warm in flesh, still breathing and certainly alive. She had made a safe comeback, he could tell.

Without wasting another second, he savored her mouth fully. He let out his need of wanting her for so long, letting go his inner feelings toward her. He went deeper into her mouth, exploring her inner walls, tasting her saliva, wanting more of her taste. He rubbed his tongue over her in swirls and pressed her so hard into the wall, making she struggled a little to breathe. But she didn't complain about the slight uncomfortable feeling he gave her. She shifted a little, adjusted her position until she became comfortable while kissing him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck securely, supporting herself so that she won't fall down from the overbearing passion they created together.

Each of his kisses meant to tell her without words how much he missed her during the days she was away.

And she wasn't dumb not to notice.

"Can you tell?" He asked her huskily once he broke the kisses. He panted heavily to catch his breath and so did she; she wasn't able to answer his question on the spot.

She grinned gleefully, showing him that she was very pleased with his taste.

Shikamaru studied her expression closely. He could tell that she was happy to taste his nicotine-free saliva. _And now…_ He thought, slowly pushing his palms off the wall to stand straight on his feet. _For the moment of truth…_

He was going to ask her the unanswered questions. Sure, he wanted to kiss her again but that can wait. He'd been waiting too long for the answers.

"I've been wondering…" He began, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his pants. "All these times I've been asking myself…these questions…" He looked at her long. "Did you let me kiss you only in order for me to quit smoking?"

Ino's brows rose up instantly. Somehow, she didn't expect to hear that one sentence out from his mouth.

"Out of concern? Just because you cared for my health? Tell me, Ino…"

He looked deep into her eyes. "Who am I to you?"

It seemed like his serious mode had flipped a switch from inside her. Her warm blue eyes turned icy cold in a second. She lifted her chin up to match his look. "Why'd you ask? Does it matter?"

He tensed at the sudden changed atmosphere between them. "Yes," he sighed exasperatedly. "It does matter. A lot."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. He knew he was playing with fire. "Who are you to me?" He heard her mutter to herself. Awkward silence fell between them.

"Who am I to you?" Instead of answering his question, she shot him one. Maybe it was time for them to talk about the confusion of their relationship. She had been wondering for so long, too. "_What_ am I to you, Shikamaru?"

His eyes darkened immediately. He didn't know why but the word "what" just fired up his nerves. He grabbed her by the shoulders, eyeing her with his piercing eyes. "I rather show you." He answered her roughly and pushed her down on the bed.

Ino expected Shikamaru's actions would be bold and hard just like his facial expression she saw just now but surprisingly, he acted totally the opposite. He kissed her again but this time, his kisses were light and tender, just like a butterfly's touch. His calloused fingers traced her skin carefully as if he was afraid of hurting her or to make her suffer. He treated her special, making her felt like she was a prized jewel, so priceless and worthy to no other man but him. Each of his kisses burned her skin, heated her up from the inside and built up her desire, making her wanting more, more of him, more of his taste. She wanted to feel him inside her immediately, oh how she missed him like crazy while she was away. The barriers that separated their body vanished in seconds and soon, it seemed like the time had flew backwards to where their first sexual intercourse had happened.

She could feel tears began to form in her eyes. Was that…was that a thing called _love_ she felt traveling all over her skin just now?

Could it be true that all these times she was giving him her burning kisses, he returned her with something even greater than what she had gave him?

Was that _burning love_ she saw in his eyes, felt in his touches, his kisses?

She inhaled deeply and let the questions flew by. He'd said that he rather showed her the answers to her questions and he was in the process of telling her all that so she decided to bury her confusion just for this moment. She would figure it out soon enough.

And now, all she had to do was to enjoy his company.

So, she did.

Shikamaru was glad he'd bought the house in the first place so that Ino wouldn't have to control her screams when he drove her wild up to the stars. Her voice echoed between the walls, calling his name over and over again, asking him to go faster and harder to meet her increasing desire. Each of his trusts met her sweet cry, urging him to do more on her body and gave her pleasure that he and only he could give her. In return, she did her part so well, pleasing him with all her long-awaited burning kisses everywhere she could land her lips on.

They both lost in space and time as the rhythm of their passion began to increase. The temperature was up and they could be done in any moment. It was hot in there, both felt it at the same time they quickened the paces, sped up the movements and when they could not hold it anymore, together they cried out each other's name as they hit the climax.

The innocent house now was full with the smell of sex.

Just like every time after they made love, automatically their bodies were lined up next to each other. Shikamaru lie on his back, his one arm wrapped around Ino's shoulders securely, caressing her bare skin lightly while the other just stay by his side. Her head was resting on his chest, her arm was across his stomach and she had one leg straddled his own. Both drifted into silence, only the sound of their harsh breathing echoed around the room. Usually, they just go to sleep but that night was different from the other nights, so they kept awake and waited for any of them to bring out the subject and talk.

The talk. They never really thought about it before, especially when it was about "them".

Shikamaru stared at the ceiling, thinking furiously. _Did Ino already have the answer to her questions?_ He had showed her like he'd told her before. _But will she understand what exactly I was trying to tell her? Could she decipher my actions? _She didn't say a word since their lovemaking ended, she just lay there, rigid…

He was startled though when finally she responded to his confusion. He frowned at the warm liquid that starting to spread across his chest. A muffled sound followed next and soon, she vibrated in his arm.

She cried.

Shikamaru swore that he was panicked. _Real bad_. All these times, Ino never cried whenever they had sex. She didn't cry every time he was being too rough on her. She didn't even cry the first time he took her virginity without warning.

But why she cried _now_?

"Ino…" He spoke her name softly. "What's wrong? Have I been too rough on you? Did I hurt you?"

His concern voice seemed to bring out more of her tears. His panicked had changed into worried.

Ino shook her head and continued to cry silently.

"What are we really, Shikamaru?" She finally spoke. "Who am I to you? _What_ exactly am I to you? You said you rather show me the answers and you did, but I'm still confused… Make it all clear, Shikamaru… I need to hear it in words, out from your mouth… Tell me…"

He looked at her long. Ino had got up from his arm and sat on the bed with her back facing him. She bent her legs against her chest, had her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees. Her hair covered her sexy back, leaving very little to his imagination and he found himself wanting her again.

But first they had to talk. They had to clear the confusion about their relationship once and for all.

"You got me wrong, Ino…" Shikamaru himself had got up from the bed and leaned against the headboard. They began to talk without facing each other. "What you thought of what I thought of you is not exactly what I thought of you."

"What do you mean?" Her voice was hoarse.

He cleared his throat. This was going to be a long night.

"The day Asuma-sensei was buried, the day where you came to me and started this…deal thing…" Shikamaru began. "About everything you'd said, that you allowed me to kiss you if only I promise to quit smoking…that you willingly exchanged your kiss for a single cigarette…that you said you'd be my cigarette and that I could kiss you as much as I wanted whenever I feel the need to smoke…that the amount of kisses was unlimited…" He sighed. "Actually, I didn't give a damn about any of it. You were serious, I know, but I never take your word seriously. Not even once. That's why I didn't come to you…"

"But believe me…" He continued. "You managed to knock some sense into me at that time. The reason I smoked is not because I feel like it – I knew I'd hate smoking and you knew that, too. But smoking the cigarettes Asuma-sensei left behind makes me feel like he's watching us…like he's protecting us…like he's still here…with us. But you'd told me that the act, the smell, the smoke…reminds you of him…that seeing me smoking makes you sad…it made me realize something…"

Shikamaru halted in his talk and took his folded blanket, spread it open and wrapped it around Ino's nude form. She was shivering at the same time she kept on crying when the subject of Asuma was brought up. After making sure that her body was securely hidden under the blanket, he leaned closer to her, hugging her from the back to share his heat, to keep her warm. He brought his fingers to her cheeks and wiped her tears away and then pulled her even closer to his body in loving comfort.

"You made me realize the fact that _I couldn't bear to see you hurt_." He sighed deeply, tightening his grip more. "You also made me realized that smoking is not just the thing that could make me feel Asuma-sensei's presence. There are other things like shougi, yakiniku, trainings, missions, our team itself…all those were closely related to him. It took me all night to gather up my courage and quit. No, it's not because I wanted your kisses in exchange for the cigarettes I left behind. I didn't want to use you as an excuse. That's why I didn't come to you. I tried so hard to avoid you, you know… But you found me at last." Shikamaru smiled a bit. "And you kissed me just like that. You kept on kissing me since then. And now, could you see what you did to me? You got me addicted…to you. I never thought of you as a cigarette, Ino. Not even once. You're not a tool to me. You are real, warm in flesh… How could I smoke _you_? How could I smoke a human being?"

"But you never said anything…" Ino bit her lip. "So, I had my mind fixed on the fact that I was only your cigarette… If you're not _smoking_ me all these times, then what _exactly_ are we doing?"

"Kissing each other…" Shikamaru leaned his face to her. "Like this…"

His lips captured hers in a swift motion and just like reflex, she responded immediately. There was something different about his kiss right at this moment; he tasted so awfully sweet. And warm. Her heart melted in a second.

Was that…was that burning love he'd fed her just now?

"On the first few weeks…" He continued his talk again. He seemed to be more talkative than ever tonight, so out of character. "I couldn't figure out what exactly I felt for you. I'm glad to receive your kisses but at the same time I felt guilty. It was like I'm using you. I wanted to deny you but I failed. There was something in your kisses that keeps on reaching me, urging me to want more of you. It's…it's like nicotine. And after that, you really had got me seriously addicted to you and it's really a pain in the ass to quit the newly found habit. Yes, kissing you had become a habit. You got me out of my mind, Ino. I could not stand a day without you and it's driving me crazy. When you went away for the two-week mission, I swear it was the hardest time ever. And it was really out of my will when I…when I _took you_ that night… I didn't realized what I did to you. My mind was blank. I couldn't think of anything. Still, I couldn't figure out my feelings for you. We did _that_ since then but I still had no clue about _us_. About who you are to me, _what_ you are to me. On the last day we were together, I swear I was truly terrified for tomorrow because I couldn't see you for such a long time. I knew I hurt you that night and I felt very, very guilty, really… Then, before you left, you handed me those cigarettes back and one last statement from you made me realize my real feelings for you."

Ino recalled what she had said just before she left him. _"Besides, you've been smoking all these times, right?" _Her eyes widened as if he had struck her nerves.

Shikamaru turned her to face him. He wanted her to see his face clearly while saying his next words so that she could see his sincerity, his pure heart that was only dedicated to no other woman but her and only her.

"About your questions earlier… I will make it all clear now…" He spoke seriously, looking straight into her eyes. "You said you need to hear it in words, out from my mouth… So, listen."

Ino returned his gaze and once again her heart melted upon seeing those warm, chocolate eyes. There was no mistaking it now. It was all true.

The burning love was clearly reflected in his eyes.

"For me, you are the woman I love, Ino."

* * *

**OWARI**

* * *

Just kidding! Hehehe… This story is not finished yet… so there will be another continuation chapter! (Readers: "Teme…") .' This is only a short story. I'm not sure when I could post the next chapter. Maybe next year, lol.

Aarghhh!!! School kicks in again! (sighs) I hate my life…

Okay, okay…to make you guys happy, I tried to update as soon as possible, hehehe… But no promises!

This story is…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	3. Burning Feelings

Argghhh!!! I know it takes me sooo long to update this story! Wargghhh! Gomenasai!!!

**ONLY FOR SHIKA-INO LOVERS**

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

**BURNING KISSES**

**© ArAshiMitArAshi**

"**_Burning Feelings"_**

* * *

"You…love me?"

Shikamaru looked straight into her eyes and nodded with all his heart. He drew his hands out to her and in a swift motion, he pulled her into his embrace.

"Yeah. I love you. So very much."

"As your teammate?"

"More than that."

"As your best friend?"

"Troublesome…" He chuckled, feeling funny at her unsure questions. Couldn't she believe him just like that? "You know it's more than that, Ino…"

"You love me as your sister then?"

Shikamaru quickly pulled her out of his arms and kissed her fully on the mouth, stealing her breath away. After breaking the kiss, he stared down at her –almost rolling his eyes.

"Never." That one word answered it all. He gave warning look, as a sign that he didn't want to answer any more troublesome questions. Ino smiled, patting his cheek gently.

"Just want to get you on your nerves." She jumped off the bed. "I know."

_Then why ask more?_ He wanted to retort but his words died on his lips the moment he took in the sight of her nude form. Though he already seen her like this countless times, it was always like the first time. Her beautiful figure always turned his mouth dry, making him hot from the inside.

Ino was just so damn intimidating.

Controlling his desire, Shikamaru put himself to relax. It was pretty relieving to know that his confession didn't earn him a slap. At least she didn't get mad. Studying her closely, his quick mind didn't fail to realize that she was actually feeling the same way as him. That she loved him, too. And that her heart was burning with love dedicated for him and only him. He didn't need to ask the answers to his questions earlier for he already could guess what her inner feeling was.

But as she stated before, he, too, need to hear those answers straight out of her mouth. He needed to hear them in words.

"You got your answers, Ino." He didn't take his eyes off of her. "Now it's time for me to get mine."

Standing in front of the bed, Ino crossed her arms under her breasts. _Right._ It was now her turn to explain everything.

With the boosted confidence level in her blood, Ino was supposed to answer him immediately, without anything to be afraid of or to be embarrassed about. But the moment she was about to open her mouth, to tell him everything that he needed to know, everything that had been haunting him since she left him confused one and a half year ago, just a glimmer from his dark wanting eyes frozen her will.

It was a meaningful gaze, thrown directly at her way, wordlessly telling her that he didn't get enough of her, still wanted more. His sexy, seductive look traveled all over her from head to toe, cherishing her beauty. Though she was bare without any trace of clothing over her body, Ino felt naked even more, as if her skin was being ripped, stripped, layer by layer to the inner part of her, her core. She felt like she was a specimen under a microscope, being studied thoroughly by him.

And there, she felt the dangling sensation throbbed inside her again, the same sensation she felt whenever they were together, getting bolder and stronger each second that she was afraid the feeling will overpower her.

Ino needed to calm herself down.

"Where's your bathroom?" Instead of answering his question, she threw him one. She didn't know why but it was as if Shikamaru had flipped a button deep down inside her. She felt embarrassed to tell him her feelings. She was embarrassed to admit that her heart actually burned for him, too. "I need to wash my face first."

Shikamaru jumped off the bed and showed her the path to his bathroom, which located just beside his bedroom. Ino walked blindly in the dark and Shikamaru smiled lightly when suddenly a thought struck his head.

He was glad that he bought the house in the first place so that Ino could easily walk around the house _naked_.

"Ino?" He called out to her upon hearing the sound of running water filling the bathtub. He peeked into the bathroom and saw her standing just next to the marble tub. "Are you going to take a bath?"

"Nope." She answered simply without looking at him, keeping her stare at the filling hot water. Shikamaru noticed that her cheeks were flushed a little, tinted with light pink color, whether it was because of the steam emanated from the water or because of their lovemaking sometime ago, he wasn't sure because all he knew that she was so cute looking like that. Sometimes Ino had her tender moments and he loved it when those moments come.

He chuckled a little, stepping in. "So, what are you trying to do?"

Ino turned around and gave a knowing smirk. "Maybe taking you into a bath is a good idea?"

"Oh?"

"You stink." She made a face and went past him toward the sink. She turned the tap on and washed her face. "You seriously need a bath, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru smirked, leaning against the wall. He knew well of his condition. Tiredness blocked his will to wash up in the first place the moment he arrived home. But making love to her was out of question. Even in the verge of death, he will gladly do it. "You, too." He eyed her bare back. Her flawless skin was still glistening with faint sweat of her own and his. He had stained her.

Ino didn't answer but looked into the mirror instead. She sighed heavily upon seeing her slightly red eyes and puffy nose. "Oh, gosh… I looked terrible. I cried too much." She leaned closer to the mirror to examine her looks and detected his stare. She looked at him from the mirror. "What?"

"I'm waiting."

"For what?"

Sighing, Shikamaru slowly pushed himself off the wall and took a few steps toward her. At times like this, he really couldn't resist her. Her shyness only invited him to do wild things to her, things unimaginable. The desire in his blood that had not faded away throbbed with renewed life, wanting to be satisfied.

He ended up pressing her back with his front, pinning her between the sink and his body. He lowered his mouth down to her slender neck and murmured, "The answers."

Though actually he didn't give a damn anymore about those answers. What he knew was he was the lucky one who got to see her like this, he was the one who received all her burning kisses all this time, he was the one who claimed the precious crown of her womanhood for the first time, he was the one who had his fingers roamed wildly over her sweaty body every time. Against his better judgment, his selfishness dubbed her his, though he could have been mistaken her real feelings towards him.

Ino's face heated up instantly upon the closeness and she could feel her heart was racing fast. Very, very fast. Shikamaru's skin brushed hers softly, bringing out her arousal. His warmth froze her lips. She felt his stare on her again from the mirror and gulped nervously.

She couldn't produce the words.

His mouth touched the sensitive spot just below her ear and she gasped. Shikamaru moved forward, closing the distance between them. She could feel his lower region, hot, hard and ready, brushing her rear lightly, sending shivers up to her spine. His fingers gripped her arms gently and moved north, caressing her in the swiftest way to make her melt. Ino closed her eyes. It was not difficult to tell that he was craving to taste her again.

She wanted to give in, wanted to receive his love once more but thinking that this thing had to be fair and square, for Shikamaru had told her his burning feelings, everything that she wanted to know, curious about, that she had to do the same thing for him. Though judging from his look and behavior now, she could tell that he didn't care at all about those answers anymore.

No. Their relationship could not begin automatically just like that. She had to confess her feelings for him, too.

Speedily, she stopped his beginning tremors by turning her body to him. She lifted her chin high to match his height. She gave a swift kiss on his lips.

"Let's get you into the tub, first." Shikamaru grunted, being stopped in his actions he was, but Ino didn't care. She pushed him slowly into a walk.

The marble tub was narrow. It was not very comfortable with two people in it but they just get in together. Shikamaru went inside first and Ino came from behind, positioning herself just fine. He sat between her open legs, bending his own to fit in the space. The warm water felt nice and soothing. Shikamaru closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort.

Ino took a sponge, wetting it with water and soap and started washing his back. Her hand worked in circles on his back, washing all the dirt away. Shikamaru hugged his bending legs and rested his head on his knees, eyes shut tight as if he was asleep.

"I care for you," Ino began. "As in more than friends."

There was Yamanaka Ino, always confident and straightforward.

"Since we were little, since we were in the same team, since I've known you…" Ino inhaled, her actions were put into a halt, eyes staring at the bathroom ceiling. "My feelings…it burns for you all these times…"

Shikamaru lowered his gaze down to his feet. "But I thought you like Sasuke."

"Sasuke was history." Was her fast reply. "True, I liked him. But I liked you, too, was and still am. You are the first guy I know, the first who I ever get close to in my life. My feelings for you…it's different from what I feel towards Chouji. I don't know how to put it but…it's special." Ino smiled, lost in thoughts. "Then there was Sasuke. It's not impossible to like more than one person at the same time. It's just…maybe my feelings for him were more _dominant _back then…it was quite…_obvious_."

"Oh, it was _so_ obvious, Ino." Shikamaru lay out the fact.

Ino chuckled. "Was it? Maybe it was…" Finished wetting his body fully, she put out the sponge and put her hands on the base of his neck. She began massaging him. "Well, I have no control towards my own feelings. He was every girl's dream anyway. But when he left the village, betrayed his own friends, let's just say that I lost respect on him instantly. He put yours and Chouji's life in danger. What a jerk."

Shikamaru gave a low chuckle.

"Then after that, we always spent time together, grew closer than ever that my feelings for you started to show. But of course I tried not to make it…obvious."

Ino startled when Shikamaru grabbed her hand and brought it to front, kissing every fingertip. "Why?"

The impact of being pulled forward made her chest crushed his back, their wet bodies pressed tight to each other. Ino silently gasped.

"Why…?" She sputtered. "Well, just because."

"Just because…?"

Ino sighed and blurted out, "I'm not your type."

"So?"

"I don't think that you would like me back in return."

Shikamaru smirked. "Why'd you think that?"

"Because we all know that at heart, I am the number one in your troublesome chart." Ino pulled her hand away from his grasp. "You wouldn't want me."

"Wrong."

Ino cocked an eyebrow.

"If Sasuke was every girl's dream, then you are every boy's dream, Ino." Shikamaru looked through his shoulder briefly, taking in her confused face. "Why wouldn't I didn't want you? Besides," he chuckled a little. "You are the first girl I know, the first who I ever get close to in my life, too."

Ino slapped his back hard, marking his tanned skin with her hand mark. "Then why don't you tell me that you like me earlier back then?"

"Ow…" Shikamaru winced, patting his back. "You're getting a lot stronger, huh?"

"Answer me!"

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru was just too lazy to lay out the fact that he was afraid to face the risk of being rejected. He didn't want to destroy their friendship. "Why don't _you_ tell me that you like me?"

"A girl should never initiate!" Ino retorted. "That's the basic rule of liking someone!"

"You showed your feelings towards Sasuke; your rivalry with Sakura and all." Shikamaru stated and made Ino shut up. "Why don't you show your feelings towards me?"

Ino was silent for a long moment. "Well," she spoke at last. "I did show. _A lot_, if you haven't notice."

Shikamaru recalled her annoying demands and temperamental temper, mostly directed to him whenever, wherever, all the time and thought whether it was actually the way Ino meant about she showing her feelings to him.

"_Then after that, we always spent time together, grew closer than ever that my feelings for you started to show. But of course I tried not to make it…obvious."_

"When I saw you alone, smoking while watching the clouds on the day Asuma-sensei was buried," Ino brought back the image of the event to his eyes, to the very first moment they kissed. "I couldn't help myself from holding my feelings towards you anymore, Shikamaru. At that time, you looked so…so pitiful, so fragile, so broken, so…soulless that I know that I have to help you in any way I can to bring you back to life again. It broke my heart seeing you like that; smoking the cigarettes Asuma-sensei left, blaming yourself for his death, distracted, not being the laid-back, the lazy ass Nara Shikamaru…" Ino sighed as she hugged him from the back slowly, breathing to his neck. "I was afraid you will carry on acting like that, became a heavy smoker like sensei himself, so I did the first thing that I could think of at that time to make you stop, make you quit…by transforming myself to be your cigarette." Shikamaru stroked her arm lightly, Ino smiled at his gestures. "Yes, I kissed you to make you quit, out of concern, and yes, I kissed you because I cared for your health. But actually, it was more than that." Ino halted in her speech, her fingers seeking his. "I kissed you out of my burning feelings towards you. I kissed you because I love you."

Shikamaru turned his body around to face her and smiled warmly. He lifted his big palm and caressed her cheek, so tender, so lightly, so lovingly that made Ino closed her eyes and leaned her face closer to return his gestures. For a moment, they just expressed their affections towards each other like that, mutedly, silently, no words unspoken.

A girl should never initiate. That made Shikamaru the one to bring their relationship up to the next level.

"I like you and you like me- No, scratch that," he began. "We love each other. And that makes us a couple now, right?"

Ino threw her hands over his shoulders. "Yeah."

"Then how about sealing our new relationship with a kiss?"

"Gladly."

They kissed, for the nth time since the first one, but this time, their kiss meant that the deal now was over. No more Ino being Shikamaru's cigarette. But that didn't mean that Ino's burning kisses just end there. She will continue giving him those, as much as he wanted, no limit, definitely infinite.

Because of in return, Shikamaru gave her his burning love so greatly than she ever imagined.

"Shikamaru?"

"Hmm?"

"Love me."

So he did.

* * *

Later on, as they lay in bed after their bath, Shikamaru was just in his boxers and Ino wearing his shirt, a perturbed question came out of Shikamaru's mouth.

"Um, Ino…" He drew his usual lazy tone. His fingers were playing with the ends of her hair. "While we were doing…um…that…I mean, when we…make love…we didn't use any protection, did we?"

Ino smiled warmly. "No, we didn't."

Shikamaru sighed in defeat. "Troublesome. I seriously forgot to think about the later consequences. What if you…?"

"Don't worry. True, _we_ didn't use any protection but _I_ did. I'm on pill. All the time."

Shikamaru's eyes grew wide. "Really? But I heard that taking pills is not that good for health…"

"But at least one of us has to take precautions before anything unwanted happen, right?"

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

Ino smiled, snuggling even closer to Shikamaru's body, inhaling his musky scent she missed so much while she was away. Her fingers traced the shape of his bare chest, memorizing its lines, replacing the memory she had back then. Shikamaru now was different from the last time she saw him; he was much taller and well-built. She turned her head to kiss his shoulder blade, unwrapped her burning feelings towards him even more, whilst Shikamaru kissed the crown of her forehead lightly, gently, so lovingly in return.

"By the way, how'd you find me here, Ino?"

Ino chuckled, tightening her grip on the guy beside her; her childhood friend, her best friend, her boyfriend, her lover. "Of course my mom told me, baaka…"

"Really?" Shikamaru sounded amused.

"Yeah." Ino glanced up and saw his smirking face. "I mentioned that I was going to visit you. She told me that you had moved out of your parents' house and gave me your new address." Ino slid up further and met his gaze. Confidently, she pointed at the window, the one she used to sneak into his bedroom, the one she sat on earlier. "You left the window opened on purpose, right?"

Shikamaru chuckled at the guessing.

"Yeah." He admitted.

"It was very _thoughtful_ of you." Ino teased.

"Well, I know that you're going to check up on me as soon as you return and I was right."

"Genius." Ino held out her hand. "Now where's my key?"

"I'll give you later." Shikamaru paused, remembering something. "Oh, wait. I have something I want to give you for such a long, long time." He got up from bed and searched for his chuunin vest on the floor. He pulled something out, something that looked like a cube, a small cube. He hopped back to rest beside Ino, handing her the thing.

"Happy belated birthday. Sorry it's small."

Surprised, Ino took the cube, which happened to be a small velvet box. She opened the lid and gasped.

What lie inside the box was the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen, though the design was quite simple to her taste.

"Like it?" Shikamaru inquired, analyzing her expression. "I don't know what else to give you. And I picked it out myself. I hope it suits yo-"

"Oh, Shikamaru!" Ino launched herself at him. "I like it! I love it! Thank you so much!"

"Really?" He asked amusedly. "You do?"

"Of course! Oh, my god! This is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen!" Ino threw him a look. "Hey, are you…proposing?"

Shikamaru arched his brows. "Proposing? No. It's just…a birthday present."

"Oh."

"But if you wear that ring, I'll take it as a symbol that you are mine."

"I'm your girlfriend now. Doesn't that fact means I'm yours?"

"Yes. But…people need proof."

Ino laughed and gave the box to Shikamaru, then held out her left hand. He got the message and took the ring from its box and slipped it into Ino's ring finger.

"Thank you. Sorry, no present for you."

Seizing her chin and held her face between his fingers, Shikamaru smiled and lowered his lips, attempting to taste her burning kiss that got him so addicted all this time and never grew tired of, murmuring,

"It's okay. I got you. That's enough for me."

* * *

**OWARI**

* * *

Warggh!!! Cheesy! Cheesy! Cheesy! (dies from cheesiness)

This story end for real this time. As I said before, this story was only a short one. Sorry, the ending's not perfect but what more could you ask for? They confessed their love to each other and became a couple and let's just say that we all know what will happen later (typical happy ending).

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I really, really appreciate your thoughts and supports! (TT) Kudos

**ShikaIno **for life!


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